Brady "XLLL" Hoke (Head Coach San Diego State)

[Diego-Bucks]

He's been really quiet, so I think you nailed it. My guess is he's laying in the fetal position somewhere clutching his stuffed duck.



Woolfolk is an average player. He was simply the best turd in a sea of turds. It's not like he's an all-conference player coming back.


Comparing this guy to Gus Malzahn is a bit, no, a lot extreme. He was a hot name a decade ago. His last "big job" at Auburn saw his offenses get worse each year before he was ultimately fired. I think he's a solid coach, much like Hoke, but he doesn't/won't strike fear in anyone. Give him the right players and I'm sure he can put together a solid offense. But he's working with the land of misfit toys right now.

Didn't mean to compare Malzahn to Borges. Big difference between the two, I agree. I was more comparing the relation between Malzahn and Chizik (which is, I think more credit for the Auburn success is due to Malzahn than Chizik) to what I think it will be from Borges to Hoke (which is, I think Borges' style and schemes will play a larger part to the Michigan on-field success than Hoke). I definitely am not trying to say Borges is an offensive innovator who will change the way Michigan fundamentally thinks about football, which is a category I would put Malzahn in at the moment.

But, I do think you are short changing Borges a bit, but I could be biased from my Aztec ways. Those poison-dart frogs we inhale out West sprinkle me with all sorts of crazy.

 

[tsteele316]

Borges will be given near free reign to design that offense the way he sees fit. He has extensive experience as being an OC for UCLA, Indiana, Auburn, California and Oregon. He prefers a pro-style attack alternating between a big line-up with variations of the I formation, a single backfield 3 WR set (Dee Hart would have been a solid RB prospect in this regards), and then will often run a 5 WR set empty backfield (perfect for the plethora of 5-9 recievers hahaha!). I think its obvious that Devin Gardner is the preferred QB for the job. From his most recent examples at SDSU, Borges prefers to attack downfield with larger framed receivers so he'll have to scheme with the Wolverines to find a few receivers in their collection that play with "size" because he won't find a Braylon Edwards on the roster for a long time.

Borges was coordinator UCLA when they went to the Rose Bowl in the '98 season (~40 ppg), he coordinated Auburn's 2004 13-0 season with Campbell. There is a lot to be concerned with in regards to Borges success.

Borges has developed multiple NFL prospects at QB when he was coordinator at UCLA, Auburn, and now SDSU. Cade McNown, Jason Campbell and Ryan Lindley (rated as a mid-round QB talent from most sources I've read). I think that Borges will emphasize yards per passing attempt to complement the running game; he is a throw it deep coordinator but is smart enough to scheme for what the defense will give him. I don't think you'll see an inordinately high completion percentage from a Borges-led QB unless Gardner just doesn't prove to have the arm strength to launch it downfield. Ryan Mallett would have loved this scheme (not that Mallett didn't enjoy the Razorbacks, just making a comparison).

Ideally, the offense will be able to attack quickly with the passing game, but would prefer to churn out drives with a powerful running game to set-up the play action pass. I'm thinking an accurate NFL comparison would be the Atlanta Falcons. Borges is the most important hire to forge lasting success in the Hoke transition.

I am of the opinion that, like Gus Malzahn to Gene Chizik, Al Borges will be the name Buckeyes actually fear, Hoke is merely the face to the program.

look at borges' tenure at auburn. in '04 they had that stacked team of campbell, cadillac, ronnie brown, and aromashadu. they finished in the top 30 offensively. the offensive numbers went down pretty substantially each year after that until borges got canned.

 

[WolverineMike]

yeah, when I said he was an upgrade, I didn't mean he was Charles Woodson.

 

[Diego-Bucks]

look at borges' tenure at auburn. in '04 they had that stacked team of campbell, cadillac, ronnie brown, and aromashadu. they finished in the top 30 offensively. the offensive numbers went down pretty substantially each year after that until borges got canned.

I won't be a Borges apologist, but Auburn had a lot more in decline from the 2005-2007 seasons than just Borges offensive play calling. Their emphasis in recruiting was on defense from 04-06. That being said, they did go 41-9 in that time frame and finished ranked in all 4 seasons (often in spite of offensive ineptitude).

Again, I'm not going to say he is a transcendent mind in the offensive coordinator world (he's 55 years old and been a OC for like 17 years, what he's doing is not new), I just think that he is going to be able to set-up a very Big Ten style offense in Michigan that in the past worked well for the weasels. When he had a solid QB (e.g. not Brandon Cox), his teams usually have been a very high-reward style offense with only the long-ball INTs being the consistent risk factor. If Hoke can tap into pre-Rodriguez levels and styles of recruits, I see Michigan having a very physically and schematically strong offense for success in the Big Ten.

 

[sandgk]

look at borges' tenure at auburn. in '04 they had that stacked team of campbell, cadillac, ronnie brown, and aromashadu. they finished in the top 30 offensively. the offensive numbers went down pretty substantially each year after that until borges got canned.

Some caveats ..

• 2004 13-0 team was impressive, no doubt, but let us remember how they came about their schedule - and how that resulted in their "snub" by the voters / BCS.
• 2005 Talent vs. 2004 -- I just wonder how much of that decline was also associated with the changes in offensive personnel ... aromashadu was back, but did Auburn lack the firepower of 2004, probably so.
• Caveat to that caveat -- How much responsibility did Borges have for reeling in (or not reeling in) replacements for the departed 2004 players on offense?

 

[Diego-Bucks]

Some caveats ..

• 2004 13-0 team was impressive, no doubt, but let us remember how they came about their schedule - and how that resulted in their "snub" by the voters / BCS.
• 2005 Talent vs. 2004 -- I just wonder how much of that decline was also associated with the changes in offensive personnel ... aromashadu was back, but did Auburn lack the firepower of 2004, probably so.
• Caveat to that caveat -- How much responsibility did Borges have for reeling in (or not reeling in) replacements for the departed 2004 players on offense?

I may be wrong on what goes on behind the scenes, but Borges has, or at least he shouldn't be, a primary recruiter. I think his strongest suit is designing and implementing X's and O's; so it will be up to Hoke and his recruiting staff to get Borges the right players. Again, I could be wrong. I just don't recall much success being mentioned in regards to Borges recruiting abilities. I think this has been the case for some time in his career, but maybe Auburn was what proved that about him.

 

[germ]

Borges will be given near free reign to design that offense the way he sees fit. He has extensive experience as being an OC for UCLA, Indiana, Auburn, California and Oregon. He prefers a pro-style attack alternating between a big line-up with variations of the I formation, a single backfield 3 WR set (Dee Hart would have been a solid RB prospect in this regards), and then will often run a 5 WR set empty backfield (perfect for the plethora of 5-9 recievers hahaha!). I think its obvious that Devin Gardner is the preferred QB for the job. From his most recent examples at SDSU, Borges prefers to attack downfield with larger framed receivers so he'll have to scheme with the Wolverines to find a few receivers in their collection that play with "size" because he won't find a Braylon Edwards on the roster for a long time.

Borges was coordinator UCLA when they went to the Rose Bowl in the '98 season (~40 ppg), he coordinated Auburn's 2004 13-0 season with Campbell. There is a lot to be concerned with in regards to Borges success.

Borges has developed multiple NFL prospects at QB when he was coordinator at UCLA, Auburn, and now SDSU. Cade McNown, Jason Campbell and Ryan Lindley (rated as a mid-round QB talent from most sources I've read). I think that Borges will emphasize yards per passing attempt to complement the running game; he is a throw it deep coordinator but is smart enough to scheme for what the defense will give him. I don't think you'll see an inordinately high completion percentage from a Borges-led QB unless Gardner just doesn't prove to have the arm strength to launch it downfield. Ryan Mallett would have loved this scheme (not that Mallett didn't enjoy the Razorbacks, just making a comparison).

Ideally, the offense will be able to attack quickly with the passing game, but would prefer to churn out drives with a powerful running game to set-up the play action pass. I'm thinking an accurate NFL comparison would be the Atlanta Falcons. Borges is the most important hire to forge lasting success in the Hoke transition.

I am of the opinion that, like Gus Malzahn to Gene Chizik, Al Borges will be the name Buckeyes actually fear, Hoke is merely the face to the program.

Take a look at the roster for MI, we have more WR then anything else, SOB

Jeremy Jackson WR 6-3 203 1 FR
Junior Hemingway WR 6-1 225
Darryl Stonum WR 6-2 195 JR
Ricardo Miller WR 6-4 215 FR
Jerald Robinson WR 6-1 195 FR
D.J. Williamson WR 6-1 170
Joe Reynolds WR 6-1 185
Roy Roundtree WR 6-0 176 SO

You think we could have recuited a few DB's:(

 

[BigWoof31]

"I prep for games with a rag on a stick...."

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

[RichRod]DBs are just WRs who can't catch. More slots!!![/RichRod]

 

[Jagdaddy]

What makes him Lloyd? Just because he coached under him does not mean he has the same philosophy as far as schemes and or playcalling goes. Putting ceilings on coaches is moronic in my opinion. He could be John L Smith for all we know. You just never know in this profession.

It would be awesome if he was the second coming of John L.: That dude makes Dick Rod look mentally stable.

 

[kippy1040]

Yesterday after watching Hokes press conference on BIG10 Network, i busted out my old VHS tape of Tressels press conference of 2001 to try and compare the question & answer periods and there was no comparison. Brady doesn't even come close to what Jim Tressel is all about. They say Hoke was the reason and difference maker when Michigan won thier 1st N/C. Somehow i just don't buy that. Michigan had a strangle-hold on BuckeyeNation football then but times have changed. And another thing i noticed during hokes presser was his nervousness on talking about the Rivalry of Ohio State & Michigan. He just gives me the impression he just not too sure how deal
with all that right now. It may take them two to three years to get things in order before then.

 

[brutus2002]

Yesterday after watching Hokes press conference on BIG10 Network, i busted out my old VHS tape of Tressels press conference of 2001 to try and compare the question & answer periods and there was no comparison. Brady doesn't even come close to what Jim Tressel is all about. They say Hoke was the reason and difference maker when Michigan won thier 1st N/C. Somehow i just don't buy that. Michigan had a strangle-hold on BuckeyeNation football then but times have changed. And another thing i noticed during hokes presser was his nervousness on talking about the Rivalry of Ohio State & Michigan. He just gives me the impression he just not too sure how deal
with all that right now. It may take them two to three years to get things in order before then.

He reminded me of my friends uncle who was an alcoholic who used to tell us about the bar fights he used to get into...

 

[PatMicMac]

Well at least m*ch*g*n won't have to worry about missing a bowl game, since every game they'll be playing in the Beef 'O Brady bowl

 

[MaxBuck]

Brady doesn't even come close to what Jim Tressel is all about.

Neither does any other college football coach; you've set the bar unreachably high. Doesn't mean Hoke won't do well in Ann Arbor.

 

[OCBucksFan]

Neither does any other college football coach; you've set the bar unreachably high. Doesn't mean Hoke won't do well in Ann Arbor.

I agree with this, what you have is two things that scUM desperately needed:

1) You have a coach that the staff and alum support, that's huge. This way he won't get second guessed every step of the way, he's a "Michigan Man" whatever the hell that means.

2) He actually wants to be at Michigan, god knows why, but he wants to be there. It's his dream job, he didn't just come for the money, he didn't come here to bring in a flashy new system, he went to Michigan because he actually wants to be there.

That's a huge step up from where they were and it's a setup to start moving the program in the right direction. As much as it pains me to say this, I think this is a good thing for tsun.

The real question is can he recruit, if he can do that well, and surround himself with somewhat intelligent people, there's no saying he can't win 9 games and go to a bowl every year.